Phuket: Chicky Net forum sold

The site was at risk of being shut down when Founder Berthe Mandaat decided after four years of running the site to sell the business in April. The former Phuket resident had moved to Europe and found running the site from outside Thailand a challenge.

Chicky Net is a social network for mainly expatriate women in Thailand, and has a large Phuket following.

With no sale by August, Ms Mandaat said if no one purchased the business then the site would close in December this year.

However this weekend it was announced that a woman named “Shannon” had purchased the business, and the popular site would continue.

In an email to all members, Ms Mandaat wrote, “Hi everyone, I have great news: Chicky Net has a new owner! Her name is Shannon and I am confident she will take great care of you.

“I wish her all the best of luck with Chicky Net and I hope she will have as much fun with it as I have had. I have enjoyed creating and growing Chicky Net and I want to thank you all for being such great members and for making Chicky Net into the great community it has become.”

In an earlier interview with The Phuket News, Ms Mandaat, from the Netherlands, said she first set up the site when she moved to Phuket and noticed there didn’t seem to be a lot of expatriate women on the island.

“Back home I had co-founded an online group for girls in their 30s who wanted to expand their social circle. Via this group I made new friends quickly so I decided to give it a try in Phuket.

“The rest is history and almost 3,000 women have joined the network so far.”

However when she relocated back to Europe she said managing the site from abroad was too difficult and wanted to sell it to someone based in Thailand.